Dispensing device



Sept. 10, 1929. I. A. BURNETT 1,727,326

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 10, 1929.

I. A. BURNETT DISPENSING DEVICE Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1927 L/w Q$207262? mm /j A WW4 Patented Sept. W, 1929.

nits? srrss IRA BURNETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISPENSING DEVICE.

' applicationfiled August 10, 1927. Serial No. 212,104.

The present invention concerns a dispens ing device or fixture which, inconnection with materials contained in collapsible tubes, fur- One ofthe objects of the invention is to provide a holder for a collapsibletube filled with material which is to-be dispensed therefrom; as forexample tooth paste, although it is tobe understood that othersubstances, as shoe polish, metal polish, shaving cream,

cold cream and the like, may be equally well dispensed by means of theimproved device which is the subject of the present invention.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a novel and efficientdevice for progressively compressing a collapsible tube so as toejectgradually and evenly therefrom paste or plastic contents thereincontained and to do so in such a manner that substantially all of thecontents of the tube may be utilized without waste.

A still further object of the inventionis to provide a holder for theafdresaid collapsible tube and for the'compression. device co-oper atingtherewith and which device is provided with a loosely pivoted coverwhichwill prevent access of dust to the collapsible tube and its contents,but which cover is adapted to fall away from the mouth of thecollapsible tube when-the holder supporting said tube and compressingdevice is swung '18 0 in a vertical direction about a pivot by means ofwhich it is attached to a plate, which, in turn, may be attached to asuit-ablesurface, as .a wall. .1

A still further object of my invention is to provide sliding means forprogressively advancing the compressing device which cooperates with theaforesaid collapsible tube so that the mouth of the said tube shall-bemaintained substantially in the same'position in space throughout thedischarge of the material from the collapsible tube, it beingunderstood, of course, that the tube andholder may be turned about anangle of 180? Vertically while the material is actually dispensed; and

what is meant by maintaining the mouth of the tube substantially in thesame position is, to be understood as having reference to the mouth ofthe tube when it is directed upwardly.

lgn the drawings which accompany and form a part of the presentapplication:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form of the improveddispensing device, showing the same in the position in which it remainswhen not use, and also showing, in dotted lines, the position assumed bythe compressing device as the contents of the collapsible tube graduallydiminish;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectional and elevational front view, showing oneform of tubecompressing member such as is employed in connection withthe device;

Fig. 8 shows the same device as in Fig. 1-, but in the position that itassumes when it is swung 180 about a pivot or union, andwhen K the coverhas automatically fallen away from the mouth of the collapsible tube andmate- 'rial is being ejected from the tube and placed into service,

. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of one form of tube-compressingmember as used in connection with the present device;

Fig. 5 is'an enlarged detailed view of the tube-retaining member of thedevice;

Fig. 6 shows a modification of the arrangef ment of the aforesaidapparatus;

Fig. '1 shows a different style of tube-compressing member which mayreplace that shownin the other figures with equal effect;

F ig." 8 is across-sectional view of the compressing member, as shown inFig. 7 in the direction of the arrows, and along the line 88 on saidFig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the member shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

. Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, in which similar numbers refer tosimilar parts throughout, it will be seen that there is provided anescutcheon plate 1 capable of being attached to a wall or other surface2 by means of screws or nails 3, and which plate is provided with apivotal union 4, which, in turn, is attached to a square or oblong rod 5terminating at both ends in a sphere or other ornamental shaped member6. In the modifications, as shown in Figs. lto 3, the said rod 5 is alsoprovided with a number of incisions 7 which co-operate with a springtooth 8 located on the rear surface of a sliding sleeve 9capable ofvertical movement upwardly and downwardlyupon the said rod 5 but whichis normally kept in any given position by virtue of the engagement ofthe spring tooth 8 with the aforesaid incisions 7 Upon the slidingsleeve member 9 there is mounted a loosely hinged cover 10, beingpivoted upon an extension of the sleeve at 11. The said sleeve alsocarries an extension which is enlarged toward one extremity thereof soas to form a hollow ring'12, as is shown in greater detail in Fig. 5.and which ring is provided at the side nearest its attach ment to thesleeve 9 with a sharp point or proectlon 13 and at the far side with asharp point 14 mounted upon the end of a screw 15 whichco-operates withthreads 16 within the said rlng, a knurled knob 17 being provided toadvance or retract the aforesaid screw 15.

' The ring shown in Fig. 5 is employed to hold any spring tooth and towhich sleeve 19 there is attached a collapsible tube-compressing memberdesignated as a whole by the numeral 20. As already explained, I haveprovided for two different types of tube-compressing members which willbe designated herein as 20 and 20 the particular type 20 being thatillustrated in Fi s. 6, 7, 8 and 9, and which will be describe ingreater detail hereinbelow. Referring to the tube-compressing member ofthe construction as shown in enlarged cross-section in Fig. 4, it willbe seen that this consists of a bracket 21, of a roller 22 and a curvedleaf spring 23 which bears a ainst the outside of the aforesaid roller22. T ere is also aslotted rotatory member 23 having a slot 24 adaptedto receive aflattened end 25 of a collapsible tube, as for example atube of tooth paste, and which meniber 23, by virtue of the theretoattached'handle 26, may be rotated in a direction, which in thecross-sectional View shown in Fig. 4

would be clock-wise, so as to draw the flattened end of the tube 18 downbetween the said member 23 and the roller 22. To assure a sufficientcompressing force upon the end of the tube 18 so as to removesubstantially all of the plastic mass therein contained, the

springs .23 are made strong enough so as to hold the roller 22 forciblyagainst the flattened end of the tube 18. .It will be noticed that asthe end 25 of the tube 18 is gradually wound about the said member 23the entire assembly 20 will gradually'slideupwardly along the rod untilsubstantially all of the contents of the tube 18 shall have beendischarged. The position assumed by the member 20 and the sleeve 19intermediate between a full tube and an empty tube is shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1.

When dispensing, for example tooth paste, from the dispensing devicewhich forms the subject of the present invention, the entire device,that is to say the rod 5 and the appurtenances attached thereto, isrotated as a unit about the union a 180 so that the cover 10 may falldown by gravity thereby exposing the mouth of the collapsible tube 18,whereupon by a slight turn of the handle 26 on the compressing device 20pressure will be applied to the contents of the tube 18 thus' forcingsome of the contents 18 of the same out so that it may be applied eitherto the hands or to a suitable brush, such as a tooth brush, shown indotted outlines in Fig. 3 and bearing the reference mark as a unit 18*.After a sufficient amount of the contents18 of the tube 18 has beendischarged, the handle 26 is released, whereupon, by gravity, the entireassembly will rotate about the union 1 and will automatically reassumethe position, shown in Fig. 1, so that the cover 10 will again fall overthe mouth of the tube 18 and thus protect the contents thereof from thedust of the atmosphere.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which the union 4 is directly attached tosleeve 9 in stead of rod 5 which latter is rigidly attached to thedispensing device 20, so that in this modification the rod ,5 will slideupwardly through the sleeve 9, instead of the sleeve 19,

moving upwardly upon' the immovable rod, I

as shown in Fig. 1. As will be seen in Fig. 6,

which shows, in dotted, lines, the tube and contents as they wouldappear when the tube 18 is one-half empty, in this case the rod 5 willbe continually advanced upwardly through the sleeve 9. In thismodification it is not necessary to have any incisions such as 7 orspring tooth such as 8 as the rod 5 will be kept from dropping by reasonof the con nection between the neck of the tube and the retaining devicesuch as shown in Fig. 5 and the co-operation of the flattened end of thetube 18 with the compressing device 20. Otherwise, the operation of themodification, as shown in Fig. 6, is identical with that alreadydescribed. Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, which show a simplifiedmodification of the compressing device, this is illustrated in theaforesaid three figures in such a form as it would beused in connectionwith Figs. 1, 2 and 3; namely attached to a sleeve adapted to slide upona square rod, such as rod 5; although it is to be distinctly understoodthat the modification 20 may also be rigidly attached to the rodaccording to the modification as shown in Fig. 6, as both are Within thescope of the present invention.

The compressing device 20*, shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, consists of asleeve 19 (or is attached to the rod 5 as the case may be) and Ycomprises a cylindrical rotatory slotted memmember -27, and which guides28engage the pinions upon which the member 23 turns, the guides being ofsuch length that the slotted member 27 may assume a position slightlyabove the cylindrical member 23, but may be placed in contact with thesaid member 23 in such a way that the slot in 27 and the slot 24 in themember 23 may coincide. When the aforesaid two slots coincide it becomespossible to insert through the two slots the flattened end 25 of thecollapsible tube 18 and then, upon turning the handle 26, the said endwill commence to wrap itself around the 0y I, lindrlcal member 23,thereby drawing the end of the tube 18 down between the two sides of theslotted member 27 thereby ejecting paste from the tube by reason of thegradual reducing diameter of the tube as it passes through the aforesaidslots. The final distancebetween the member 27 and the member 23 s soproportioned that substantially'the entIre" tube may be wound about themember 23 without jamming the device. It will be seen that in thepresent case of device 20*, it Wlll be possible to advance this alongthe collapsible tube 18 substantially to the mouth of the said tube, sothat most of the contents of the tube may be utilized.

While the device as illustrated and described herein is preferably andadvantage ously constructed of metal, it is to be distinctly understoodthat plastic or molded ,compositions having sufficient rigidity and ptensile strength may be used. For example, the rod 5 may consist ofvulcanized fiber, a molded phenol resin, a casein solid, ivory, bone, orthe like; and the cover 10 may likewise consist of a plastic materialsuch as pyroxylin plastic; and the handles 26 and '17 may likewise bemade of such molded material, so that the device may be made in" variouscolors and various shapes to harmonize the same with the generalinterior decorative scheme of the room or place in which it is to beemployed. While the device has been shown in connection with toothpaste, it is to be understood that it may likewise be employed fordispensing shoe polish, massage cream, shaving cream, or similar toiletrequisites.

It is believed that a perusal of the aforesaid Figs. 1 to 9 inconnection with the herein described method of operation, will make thefunctioning of the dispensing device sufficiently clear to enable anyoneskilled in the art to construct and'operate the same. Obviousmodifications within the'skill of the mechanic, such as substitutions ofknobs for handles, of a round rod for a square or oblong rod, or othermeans of attachment than the union 4, or other means for forcing theroller 22 (Fig. 4) into contact with theend 25 of the collapsible tube18, and other shapes and forms of cover, will come within the scope asleeve sliding upon a rod, and a collapsibletube compressing membermounted upon a connected to an escutcheon plate adapted to be mountedupon a vertical surface.

2. A dispensing device of the class described, comprising thecombination of a sleeve sliding upon the same rod asthe said a holdingdevices, the said rod being pivotally plate, a rod pivotally connectedthereto, a

member slidable upon said rod, a ring-shaped holder for a collapsibletube likewise connected to said member, a second member mounted upon thesame rod and connected to a device for progressively compressing acollapsible tube. V

3. A dispensing device of the class described comprising the combinationof receiving means having provisions for engaging the neck of acollapsible-tube, a rod slidably associated with said receiving meansfor permitting movement of said receiving means along said rod,.. and acollapsible-tube comressing member slidably mounted on. said rod andmovable toward said receiving means foli; progressively compressing acollapsibletue. r 4. A dispensing device of the class de scribedcomprising a pivotally'mounted supporting. member,a sleeve slidable uponsaid supporting member, a holder for a collapsibletube connected to saidsleeve, and a second sleeve like member slidable upon said rod,

and a device connected to said second sleeve for progressivelycompressing a collapsibletube.

5 A dispensing device" of the class described, comprising thecombination of a holder for grasping the neck of a collapsible tube, asleeve to which said holder is connected, a freely swinging cover forsaid collapsible tube likewise connected to 'said 5 sleeve, a rodslidably engaged by said sleeve and having connected thereto near theend opposite said sleeve a device for compressing a collapsible tube soas to discharge the contents of the same, and a mounting plate to whichsaid rod is connected.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

IRA A. BURNETT.

